Care doesn’t just begin and end inside an office. It begins inside living rooms. On video calls. Around the dinner table. Quite honestly, wherever people need it the most.
Through the Easterseals Midwest Health Home program, individuals across Missouri are discovering what care means when it’s combined with connection. Through a partnership between Easterseals and Compass Health, the program brings together a team of specialists to provide coordinated, whole-person support, and empower people to live the lives they want to live.
But it’s not just convenience and collaboration. It’s also about compassion.
When Registered Dietitian Jenny Duez speaks about her work, her enthusiasm is clear.
“What I love about this program is that it provides individuals with disabilities access to truly coordinated care and support from a team of health professionals,” Jenny shares. “We meet people where they are and give them the tools to live healthier, more empowered lives.”
The team? There’s a dietitian, a behavior consultant, an occupational therapist, a speech language pathologist, and a physical therapist, all working together to meet the diverse needs of each participant.
Through monthly online classes and one-on-one consultations, Jenny helps people explore everything from stress management and healthy eating on a budget to gut health and sleep hygiene. Each session is designed to help people make meaningful, sustainable changes in their everyday lives.
“What I find most rewarding,” Jenny says. “is seeing the difference this support makes. Clients are gaining not only practical skills and resources, but also the confidence to take ownership of their own health.”
Occupational Therapist Tricia Spener echoes that passion.
“Every family’s needs are unique,” she explains. “Our meetings are virtual and can happen at a time that works best for them. The beauty of this program is how easy it is to access. You have not only me, but a whole team of healthcare providers supporting your journey.”
Together, Jenny and Tricia are redefining what community health can look like, one family at a time.
For Lucy Salamon, a participant in St. Louis, the Health Home program offered a new path toward better health…and more confidence.
When her mom first suggested connecting with a nutritionist, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Shortly after, she met Jenny through the program, and the two began meeting virtually every month, talking about nutrition goals, healthy meal ideas, and ways to make grocery shopping and food planning easier.
“Jenny helps me with my food goals,” Lucy says. “We talk about healthy alternatives and small changes I can make. I started eating better, exercising more, and it’s really helping me feel good about where I’m headed.”
Her advice for those thinking about joining the program is rather simple and direct:
“Be open, set goals, and do the best you can.”
With steady support and encouragement, along with newfound structure, Lucy has found her footing and received a nice boost of confidence.
When Karen Bartlett first connected with Health Home, she didn’t expect just how much it would change her stepdaughter Heather’s life.
Heather, 38, had struggled with speech challenges since an early age. Karen assumed adult speech therapy wasn’t an option, until a nurse from the program reached out and guided her towards a ton of new resources.
“She gave me resources and helped me find a speech therapist who could work with Heather in-person and on a permanent basis,” Karen explains. “I didn’t realize you could get speech therapy for an adult.”
Within a matter of weeks, Heather began working on pronunciation, and soon, small victories began to appear. A few words were starting to come out a little more clearly, and her smile started to grow a little brighter.
“Just in a couple of words that she’s able to pronounce a little bit better, it has boosted her self-confidence,” Karen says proudly. “Join the program! It costs nothing and it’s really easy to get services. You have nothing to lose.”
The changes for Heather have meant much more than clearer speech. They have created new friendships, new job possibilities, and a heightened, fresh sense of self.
Across Missouri, specialists a part of the Health Home team are helping families navigate the challenges that once felt overwhelming, all through the power of connection.
Behavior Consultant Davis Kroupa, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), supports families dealing with complex behavioral needs, often in rural areas where specialized services are hard to find.
“I think where Health Home really shines is in small towns that don’t have access to these supports,” Davis explains. “We meet virtually, we send materials by mail, we talk every week if needed. There’s no waitlist, no age limit. Just a team ready to help.”
A guardian reached out, terrified and exhausted, after repeated emergency room visits with her son. Through ongoing sessions, Davis guided her through strategies to manage aggression safely, improve communication, and rebuild that trust.
“It got to the point where she said, ‘I don’t have to send him somewhere else. Our relationship has improved, and I don’t feel as scared to be around him.’ That’s what this program is about: giving families hope and tools they can use.”
From behavior to nutrition, speech, and sensory strategies, specialists like Davis are making crucial care more accessible, no matter when you live.
“You don’t have to go hopping from agency to agency to get help,” Davis adds. “You’ve got all of us, working together, when you need us.”
Health Home isn’t just a collection of services. It’s a lifeline for individuals and families who often fall through the cracks of traditional care systems.
There’s no cost to participants, no age restrictions, no insurance hoops to jump through, and offers something too rare in healthcare: ease and continuity.
Rural parents are trying to learn how to manage challenging behaviors, adults are discovering speech therapy may be necessary, and young women are confronting the challenges of nutrition. Health Home is there to prove that coordinated care can change those lives.
“It’s not just about health,” Jenny says. “It’s about helping people feel seen, capable, and connected.”
From dietitians and behavior consultants to speech and occupational therapists, Health Home is making that care not only possible, but personable.
Health Home: Care that connects. Powered by Easterseals Midwest and Compass Health.
Learn more or join the program here.
